Dehradun civic body plans satellite-based mapping of properties

The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) is planning satellite-based mapping of all the properties under its domain with a view to develop an efficient and transparent system of handling revenue matters.

“GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping is the call of the day…Dehradun has expanded significantly and it’s not possible to manually visit each and every household for recording property details anymore. We are currently exploring the works of various companies in this field and will call for tender (for GIS mapping) soon,” Dehradun municipal commissioner Ravneet Cheema told Hindustan Times.

A Geographic Information System is designed to store, retrieve, manage, display and analyse all types of geographic and spatial data. The software allows production of maps and other graphic displays of geographic information for analysis and presentation.

Cheema said if everything goes according to the plan, Dehradun will be the first urban local body in Uttarakhand to introduce GIS mapping of properties.

Municipal corporations in cities like Hyderabad, Kanpur and Delhi have already adopted the GIS mechanism and expanded their property tax base significantly through it over the years.

Cheema, who returned recently from an official visit to Hyderabad, said that the Hyderabad municipal corporation’s tax collection increased by three to four times after introduction of the GIS mapping.

“They managed this feat without increasing tax rates. We clocked in over ₹15 crore (during 2016-17) through property tax and are hoping that our tax collection too would go up by at least 2-3 times as it (the GIS mapping) will help bring in a number of households and commercial establishments under the tax net,” she said.

The GIS mapping will also help the DMC in identifying encroachments and illegal constructions, besides enabling it to verify details submitted by locals through the self assessment process of house tax submission, she added.

In the past, the DMC was pulled up by the central and state finance commissions over its failure to introduce GIS mapping.